To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was of employing special advisers in his Department from 1997 to date. [160048]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 1 May 2001, Official Report, column 607W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how Many special advisers worked in his Department from 1997 to date. [160036]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: In total, two special advisers have worked at any one time in the Foreign Secretary's Department from 1997 to date:

• Andrew Hood: May 1997-December 1999
• David Clark: May 1997 to date
• Michael Williams: February 2000 to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to assist the preparations for the Rio+10 conference; what contributions he intends to make at the conference; and if he will make a statement. [159780]

As my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment has stated in his reply of today (UIN15779), the United Kingdom is taking a leading role in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in South Africa in September 2002. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is actively engaged in these preparations.Once the agenda for the summit has been agreed, we shall decide on how best to contribute

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average length of time was between a case referred to me European Court of Human Rights and a judgment in a case in the last 12 months; and when he expects a judgment in the cases of (a) Leyla Zana, (b) Selim Sadak, (c) Hatip Dicle and (d) Orhan Dogah. [160383]

The new European Court of Human Rights came into existence on 1 November 1998. The Court has set itself the objective of reaching a final judgment on the merits of a case within two years of that case being introduced. However, due to the considerable backlog of cases that the new Court inherited from the previous European Court and Commission, the Court is not at present in a position to meet that objective. The Government have provided additional assistance to the Court to help in clear that backlog. The majority of cases that do not go for judgment are decided within one year.Judgments are expected shortly in the cases of Leyla Zana, Selim Sadak, Hatip Dicle and Orhan Dogah, and probably by the beginning of June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Colombian Government over the recent threats made by Army and paramilitary personnel against the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado. [160641]

We are concerned about the recent threats that have been made by armed groups against the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado. Representatives of Peace Brigades international and Christian Aid met officials from the Latin American and Caribbean Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 5 and 26 April respectively to discuss this problem, and what further steps might be taken to protect the Peace Community and other vulnerable groups in Colombia.The British embassy in Bogota has raised our concern about the safety of the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community with the Colombian authorities, most recently with the Head of the Human Rights Unit of the Prosecutor-General's Office on 24 April. We have been promised a response soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Colombian Government concerning the rights of the peace communities in Colombia not to be intimidated by military and paramilitary units. [160642]

As I made clear in my statement on 13 February, we are very concerned about the increasing levels of violence in Colombia, and the threats and intimidation that continue to be directed against the civilian population, including the peace communities.The Minister for the Cabinet Office visited Colombia again in March in order to support the Colombian Government's efforts to advance the peace process and protect human rights. She repeated the concerns that we both raised with the Colombian Government during our joint visit in September 2000 about paramilitarism, and strongly urged the authorities to increase their efforts to tackle paramilitary groups. On 20 April, I wrote to the Colombian Ambassador in London reiterating our concern about the human rights situation in Colombia, especially with regard to the protection of vulnerable groups, paramilitarism, and bringing members of the armed forces linked to paramilitaries to justice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Chinese Government following the arrest of Bishop Cosmas Shi Enxiang, together with priests and followers; and if he will make a statement. [160167]

We have raised our concerns about the reported detention of Bishop Shi Enxiang on 27 April with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, and will continue to follow this case closely.We regularly raise concerns about the harassment of Christians in our Human Rights Dialogue with China, the latest round of which was held in Beijing on 12–14 February. We made it clear that such harassment was unacceptable and not in keeping with the provisions of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which China signed in October 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what obstacles remain to his signing the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. [160322]

The UK ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1986 and is fully committed to its implementation. The Optional Protocol to the Convention was opened for signature on 10 December 1999. In 1999, following a review of our obligations under international human rights treaties, the Government concluded that priority should be given to the Human Rights Act 1998. The Government would prefer to give the Act, which has been fully in force only since 2 October 2000, longer to bed down before returning to the question of whether our citizens need an avenue of complaint to the UN human rights committees. The Home Secretary has said in a recent letter to the Law Society that we can return to the issue later in the year, but cannot give a precise timetable just yet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent discussions he has had with the Chinese Government concerning animal welfare. [160074]

We have made clear to the Chinese authorities the British public's opposition to the exploitation and cruel treatment of animals in China.The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to protect animals. We are closely involved in the work of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). We support the work of non-governmental organisations in the field of animal welfare.

To ask the Solicitor-General if he will make a statement concerning the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute any person arising out the death of Colin Griffiths. [160360]

A full investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Griffiths' death was undertaken by the Staffordshire police. The findings of that investigation have been carefully reviewed by a senior lawyer in the Casework Directorate of the Crown Prosecution Service. In addition, advice has been taken from experienced, independent counsel. Both have come to the firm conclusion that there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction against any person arising out of the tragic death of Mr. Griffiths. Mrs. Griffiths has been informed of the decision and she has also had a meeting with the CPS lawyer during which the basis of the decision was explained to her.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost was of employing special advisers in her Department from 1997 to date. [160040]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 1 May 2001, Official Report, column 607W.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the Commonwealth Development Corporation's recently published annual report. [160732]

For the year 2000, CDC made a pre-tax operating surplus of £72.3 million. However, after provision on its investment portfolio of £133.4 million it made an overall loss of £61.1 million before tax (£51.5 million after tax).With regard to its investment policy in the year 2000, CDC exceeded the target of directing 70 per cent. of investments by value to poorer countries. However, in 2000 it again did not meet the aim of directing 50 per cent. of its investments by value to Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. CDC is focused on meeting this aim in 2001.CDC made important progress during last year to establish the basis for a beneficial public-private partnership that will demonstrate that it is possible for private investors to make adequate returns in poor countries in a socially responsible way.Copies of CDC's annual report and accounts have been placed in the Library of each House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases since 1 May 1997 in which Dr. Abou-Amer was the examining medical practitioner the decision maker's ruling on entitlement to benefit has been overturned on appeal. [160612]

The information is not available. Neither medical services nor the Benefits Agency keep records that identify which examining medical practitioners were involved in individual cases. The appeals service does not record details of the examining medical practitioner involved in cases coming to appeal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the benefit fraud inspectorate in respect of Kingston upon Hull city council. [160725]

The benefit fraud inspectorate (BFI) has produced an assessment report in respect of Kingston upon Hull city council. The report was published today and copies have been placed in the Library.The inspection coincided with my right hon. Friend's announcement on the setting up of an Expert Help Team to help local authorities improve their benefit administration. The council offered to be the first local authority to work with the expert help team.BFI therefore produced a short assessment report to help the council identify the extent of deficiencies in key areas of benefit administration and security, and to help inform the focus of the expert help to teams visit.

People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) subject to disallowances or sanctions as at 30 November 2000
Thousand
Sanction/disallowance type	All claimants	JSA (IB) in payment on hardship grounds	No JSA in payment
All cases	27.5	6.0	21.6
Disallowed—availability for work/not actively seeking employment	0.6	10.1	0.6
Sanctions for failure to comply with New Deal requirements	0.5	—	0.5
All other sanctions/disallowance	26.4	5.9	20.5
1Figure is subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used only as a guide to the current situation

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims submitted (a) prior to 31 December 2000 and (b) since 1 January for the Winter Fuel Payment from men aged between 60 and 64 years are unresolved; and if he will make a statement. [160092]

Sixty-six claims prior to 31 December 2000 and 249 claims since 1 January are unresolved. In all these cases, further information has been requested in order to determine the claim.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people missed the March deadline for applying for a Winter Fuel Payment for 2000; and if he will impose a similar deadline for applications for winter fuel payments relating to earlier years. [158714]

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the number of people affected by (a) disallowance of JSA for failure to comply with actively seeking work, or availability for work tests, (b) JSA sanctions of a discretionary length, (c) JSA sanctions of a fixed length, (d) JSA sanctions arising from failure to comply with New Deal requirements, (e) JSA sanctions arising from failure to co-operate with the Child Support Agency and (f) Income Support sanctions arising from failure to co-operate with the Child Support Agency. [160284]

The information is in the table.

Around 1.3 million people have made successful claims for Winter Fuel Payments in respect of winter 2000 out of a possible 1.5 million people that might have been eligible. We have received 252 claims since the deadline.There are no immediate intentions to impose deadlines on claims for payments for past winters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples have weekly incomes below (i) £80, (ii) £85, (iii) £90, (iv) £95, (v) £100, (vi) £105, (vii) £110, (viii) £115, (ix) £120, (x) £125, (xi) £130, (xii) £135, (xiii) £140, (xiv) £145, (xv) £150, (xvi) £155, (xvii) £160, (xviii) £165, (xix) £170, (xx) £175, (xxi) £180, (xxii) £185, (xxiii) £190, (xxiv) £195 and (xxv) £200. [158793]

[holding answer 26 April 2001]: The information is in the tables. Although the income bands for couples reflect the proposed structure of the pension credit, they should not be used to estimate numbers of pensioners who would be eligible. This is because they refer to total net income from all sources, including certain benefit payments which will not be taken into account when assessing eligibility for the pension credit. Also, the figures relate to a different time period.

Single pensioners below selected levels of income, 1998–99
Net weekly income	Number (Thousand)	Percentage of all single pensioners
Below £80	750	18
Below £85	890	21
Below £90	1,000	24
Below £95	1,140	27
Below £100	1,310	31
Below £105	1,510	36
Below £110	1,730	41
Below £115	1,960	47
Below £120	2,160	52
Below £125	2,340	56
Below £130	2,520	60
Below £135	2,640	63
Below £140	2,750	66
Below £145	2,850	68
Below £150	2,950	71
Below £155	3,050	73
Below £160	3,140	75
Below £165	3,220	77
Below £170	3,290	79
Below £175	3,340	80
Below £180	3,400	81
Below £185	3,470	83
Below £190	3,540	85
Below £195	3,590	86
Below £200	3,630	87

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his estimate based on the Family Resources Survey 1998–99 of (a) median pensioner incomes, excluding means-tested benefits, by age, sex and marital status, consistent with his answer of 8 February 2000, Official Report, column 128W, on pensions and (b) the size of each group. [160282]

I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to this question on 16 November 2000, Official Report, column 790W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) children, (b) adults and (c) pensioners lived in poverty in the north west in each of the years from 1997 to date. [160084]

Poverty and social exclusion are complex multi-dimensional issues, affecting many aspects of people's lives—including income, health, housing, the quality of their environment and opportunities to learn. There is no single measure that can capture the complex problems that need to be overcome.However, a number of these aspects have seen significant improvement in the north west since 1997. For instance, the proportion of children achieving at least level 4 at key stage 2 has risen from 63 per cent. in 1997 to 75 per cent. in 2000 in English. In maths the proportion rose from 63 per cent. to 73 per cent. The numbers claiming Unemployment Benefit have fallen by over 35 per cent. since the election to 125,000 in March 2001. Unemployment has not been as low in the north west since May 1975. The percentage of pensioners in 1998–99 in low income households in the north west Government office region was 24 per cent. on the before housing costs measure and 27 per cent. on the after housing costs measure. This is similar to the level for Great Britain as a whole.The annual report, "Opportunity for all" (CM4865), available in the Library, sets out and monitors the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average arrears payment and the average compensation payment made to people who have been victims of the problems with the NIRS2 computer system, broken down into claimants of each of the benefits affected. [160224]

[holding answer 3 May 2001]: The only reason there have been victims of the NIRS2 computer system is because of the terms on which the system was purchased by the previous Administration. We are dealing with the consequences to ensure people do not lose out.

Benefit	Average amount of benefit arrears paid (£)	Average amount of compensation paid (£ p)
Retirement Pension	323	12.20
Widows Benefit	1,665	29.97
Incapacity Benefit	305	19.55
Jobseeker's Allowance	381	31.44

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security broken down on an annual basis, how many claimants of each of the benefits calculated by NIRS2 have received arrears payments related to the problems with the computer system; how many have received compensation; and how many cases are still waiting to be reviewed. [160225]

[holding answer 3 May 2001]: As at 31 March 2001, the Department had processed almost 98 per cent. of the 3.2 million referrals from NIRS2 since 19 April 1999. 66,880 cases remain under review, which is 8,000 less than at 28 February 2001.

Benefit	Number of people whose benefit has been underpaid	Number of people who have received compensation
Tax year 1999–2000
Retirement Pension	94,942	197,933
Widows Benefit	9,936	19,081
Incapacity Benefit	3,980	2,055
Jobseeker's Allowance	1,019	161
Tax year 2000–01
Retirement Pension	75,409	50,227
Widows Benefit	6,160	4,110
Incapacity Benefit	4,937	2,488
Jobseeker's Allowance	1,168	65

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners (a) received the Minimum Income Guarantee premium for those aged between 75 and 79 years and (b) how many received the premium for those aged 80 years and over broken down into single people and couples, and prior to the changes in April. [160220]

[holding answer 3 May 2001]: The position on premiums for the earnings related Minimum Income Guarantee prior to this April's changes is given in the table. The two lower rates of the Minimum Income Guarantee were abolished on 9 April and all claimants now receive the highest rate of £92.15 for a single person and £140.55 for couples. The number of pensioners claiming are expected to increase by 140,000 as they become newly entitled to the guarantee because of these increases and increases in the lower and upper capital limits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 23 April 2001, Official Report, columns 153–54W, for what reason Pension Credit claimants were not included in the estimate of pensioners in receipt of means-tested support in 2003–04. [160230]

[holding answer 3 May 2001]: We are still considering the overall design of Pension Credit in light of the consultation exercise. Final decisions have not yet been made on several policy areas which will have an impact on the number of pensioners entitled to the reward for saving. Estimates of the number of pensioners covered by Pension Credit will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons (a) qualified for the higher mobility rate of Disability Living Allowance and (b) participated in the Motability scheme, in each of the last five years. [159741]

[holding answer 3 May 2001]: The information is in the table.

Recipients of the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance and participants in the Motability scheme
Thousand
Year	DLA higher rate mobility component recipients1	Current Motability agreements2
1996	1,253	299
1997	1,327	341
1998	1,346	366
1999	1,364	384
2000	1,409	392
1DSS Information Centre: five per cent. data
2Motability—includes War Pension recipients and Northern Ireland cases

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current status of the repairs to the submarine flotilla. [160686]

The repairs to the SSNs recalled last October are progressing well. Although straightforward in engineering terms, the work has involved the development of engineering techniques. This has been given the highest priority and I am able to say that the repairs to HMS Torbay and HMS Tireless have been completed successfully. HMS Torbay remains in refit and HMS Tireless, sailed yesterday from Gibraltar to return to duty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Bristol, East constituency, the effects on Bristol of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150558]

The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a very substantial number of personnel in the Bristol area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled some 15,700 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).Since 2 May 1997, around 1,230 contracts with a total value of some £1,954 million were placed with prime contractors in the Bristol area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Bolton, West constituency, the effects on Bolton, West of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [150603]

[holding answer 5 March 2001]: The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a large number of personnel in the north-west, a significant proportion of whom are based close to Bolton: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled some 2,700 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).Since 2 May 1977, around 440 contracts with a total value of some £332 million were placed with prime contractors in the Bolton area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Warrington, North constituency, the effects on Warrington, North of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152315]

[holding answer 6 March 2001]: The Ministry of Defence has wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a large number of personnel in the Warrington area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled some 4,150 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).Since 2 May 1997, around 440 contracts with a total value of nearly £50 million were placed with prime contractors in the 1 Warrington area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Don Valley constituency, the effects on Doncaster of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [153521]

The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a very substantial number of personnel in the, Don Valley area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled 620 personnel (service and civilian) on average during the period of interest.Since 2 May 1997, nearly 160 contracts with a total value of nearly £2 million were placed with prime contractors in the Don Valley area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the combined cost of employing special advisers in his Department from 1997 to date. [160053]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster gave him on 1 May 2001, Official Report, column 607W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many special advisers worked in his Department from 1997 to date. [160054]

[holding answer 1 May 2001]: During the period in question a total of four individuals have worked as special advisers in this Department, but no more than two have been employed at any time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the result of the SIM investigation was into the death of Grenadier Guardsman Richard King during exercises at Sennybridge; what correspondence he has had with the families of the deceased soldier; and what time elapsed between the death of Guardsman King and his family being informed of the results of the inquiry. [159546]

The investigation by the Royal Military Police special investigation branch into the death of Guardsman King concluded on 29 February 2000. As a result, eight senior non-commissioned officers and two junior non-commissioned officers were reported for neglect of duty. The Army Prosecuting Authority, an organisation similar in role to that of the Crown Prosecution Service and wholly independent of the chain of command, subsequently concluded that there was insufficient prospect of securing a conviction at a court martial to warrant trial.The Secretary of State has had no direct contact with the family of Guardsman King, although officers from Guardsman King's unit have insisted the family and a number of officials from the Ministry of Defence have also been in correspondence with them. The associated Army Board of Inquiry was convened on 15 January 2001; it is still on-going and the family will continue to be informed of developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information is routinely collected to monitor the use of plastic baton rounds. [159547]

Information on plastic baton rounds fired by the Army is collected from a number of sources: the daily incident briefs (DIBs), brigade daily Northern Ireland reports (NIREPs) and plastic baton log reports. The information is held for internal use by Headquarters Northern Ireland, which also relays details of any baton round sage to the RUC as part of normal liaison activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 March 2001, Official Report, column 507W, if he will extend the table provided in order to record in each year since 1991, the number of (a) PBRs fired, (b) target hits and (c) injuries and fatalities. [159548]

The only record we have of the number of targets hit since 1991 is the same as the number of injuries which appears in the table given in my answer of 13 March 2001, Official Report, columns 507–08W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the muzzle velocity is of the L21 Al baton round. [158506]

The muzzle velocity of baton rounds is normally measured 2m from the gun muzzle. At 2m, the average (mean) velocity of a sample of 360 L21A1 baton rounds fired from L104 guns was 71.4 metres per second (m/s).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 April 2001, Official Report, columns 94–95W, regarding DMSO solvent experiments, if he will place in the Library copies of the two protocols which were submitted to the ethical sub-group of the defence scientific advisory committee medical committee and the minutes of the committee which relate to the discussion of these two protocols. [159803]

I will arrange to have copies of the two protocols relating to the trials involving human volunteers and the solvent DMSO to be placed in the Library of the House. However, the minutes of the ethical sub-group of the medical committee of the defence scientific advisory committee have, in line with Ministry of Defence policy, been sent to MOD defence records. I have arranged for them to be recalled and will then be in a position to consider their placement in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 5 March 2001, Official Report, column 20W, on Porton Down, if he will place in the Library copies of each of the internal technical reports related to research involving Oripavine TL2636 identified by the chemical and biological defence sector of DERA at Porton Down. [159802]

I will arrange to have copies of those reports on Oripavine TL2636 which have been declassified to be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible. The remainder of the reports are currently being reviewed for declassification before they can be placed in the Library of the House. The report from the CW applications discussion group of the 17th Quadripartite CBR Conference is classified and I am therefore only releasing the section which refers to Oripavine.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2001, Official Report, column 659W, on Oripavine, if he will place in the Library details of the evidence which suggests that following single acute doses of TL2636 there are no significant long-term effects on health. [159805]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his previous question. In this response I stated that the Oripavine derivative TL 2636 is a member of the same group of drugs as morphine, and although there had been no long term follow-up studies specifically relating to this derivative, these drugs have been used clinically for many years. The evidence to which I referred is widely available in the open literature and I have placed this in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ask the Medical Research Council to consult the Porton Down veterans support group regarding its advice on an independent epidemiological study for service personnel who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down. [160494]

No. The Medical Research Council is already in contact with the Porton Down veterans support group and will consult with them as necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates officials from his Department and the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down have held meetings with the Medical Research Council since 5 March regarding its advice on an independent epidemiological study for Porton Down volunteers. [160488]

Officials met with representatives from the Medical Research Council (MRC) at Porton Down on 5 April 2001.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a breakdown of the regional distribution of his Department's spending in the last financial year. [160455]

This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The Ministry of Defence is organised financially into top level budgets reflecting major outputs rather than geographical location. Expenditure records reflect this organisation and commodities purchased only.While we do not record the majority of expenditure by region, defence expenditure on equipment by regions is detailed in table 1.9 of "UK Defence Statistics 2000", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget is for the future rapid effects system; and if he will make a statement. [160343]

At this stage we are considering only whether to adopt the future rapid effect system; no dedicated funding has yet been allocated to it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Warrior upgrade programme. [160340]

The Warrior infantry fighting vehicle upgrade programme is currently in its concept phase. Technology and procurement options are being identified for further investigation during the assessment phase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the post-project evaluation of the relocation of HQ 2 Division from York to Edinburgh. [160339]

The final stages of the reorganisation of Headquarters 2 Division have only recently been completed and we wished to see the new organisation established before conducting a post-project evaluation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armoured battlegroup support vehicles he will buy; and if he will make a statement. [160341]

The armoured battlegroup support vehicle programme is still in the concept phase. A decision has yet to be made on the number of vehicles that we will procure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many multi-role armoured vehicles he will purchase; and what compensation and other costs will be payable to other project partners if the UK buy is reduced. [160342]

A review of the UK combat support vehicle requirement is currently taking place. It will not be possible to finalise the number of multi-role armoured vehicles required until this review has reported in late 2002.The memorandum of understanding that governs the collaborative programme does not commit any of the three nations to production and makes no reference to specific production quantities. The issue of compensation payments does not arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Armed Forces, and from which units, excluding special forces, will be deployed at the Ascot week races; and if he will make a statement. [160316]

None. Security during Ascot week is a matter for the police, who are well trained and well equipped for the task. The Ministry of Defence will, of course, consider any reasonable request for support in those areas for which the police are not trained and equipped.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 27 April 2001, Official Report, column 415W, on chemical agent CR, what form the aerosol version of CR took; and what authorisation was given for aerosol CR weaponisation as (a) spray, (b) grenade, (c) canister and (d) other. [160288]

In both 1968 and 1973, CR was authorised for use in aerosol form as a hand-held squirt device known as a self-protection aid device (SPAD).Information on authorisation for the development and subsequent production of differing types of CR weapon is not collated centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, authorisation for CR to be held in readiness for use has always been subject to ministerial approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates (a) 22 Squadron SAS, (b) 14 Company and (c) the Force Research Unit were (i) established, (ii) deployed and (iii) discontinued; what specific activities were undertaken by each of these units; and what the normal complement was of each unit. [160324]

The designation "22 SAS Regiment" was first used in 1952, for a unit formed in 1950 for operations in Malaya. The regiment remains in being.I am withholding the further information requested under exemption 1a of the code of practice on access to Government information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information, relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effects on Jarrow of his Department's actions since 2 May 1997. [153558]

The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a presence in the Jarrow area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled around 910 personnel (service and civilian) on average during the period of interest.Since 2 May 1997, around 100 contracts with a total value of some £33 million were placed with prime contractors in the Jarrow area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effects on the Manchester, Gorton constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 14 November 2000. [154499]

The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a presence in the Manchester, Gorton area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled around 600 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).Since 2 May 1997, around 1,360 contracts with a total value of some £250 million were placed with prime contractors in the Manchester area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Truro and St Austell constituency, the effects on Truro and St. Austell of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154528]

The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a large number of personnel in the Truro and St. Austell area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled around 3,500 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (Service and civilian).Since 2 May 1997, around 120 contracts with a total value of nearly £5 million were placed with prime contractors in the Truro area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152981]

[holding answer 20 March 2001]: The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a large number of personnel in the Lincoln area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled some 6,300 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian), mainly based at RAFs Waddington, Coningsby and Cranwell. The strong RAF support to the local area will be maintained in the future by the basing of the Eurofighter at RAF Coningsby.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Newbury constituency, the effects on Newbury and West Berkshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154570]

[holding answer 20 March 2001]: The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a very large number of personnel in the Newbury and West Berkshire area: within a 25-mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled some 24,500 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian). This represents an increase of just over one-quarter since 1997. The Newbury area is home to many significant defence establishments including RAF Brize Norton and the Tidworth Garrison.Since 2 May 1997, around 420 contracts with a total value of some £474 million were placed with prime contractors in the Newbury area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lancaster and Wyre constituency, the effect on Lancaster and Wyre of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154686]

[holding answer 21 March 2001]: The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a presence in the Lancaster and Wyre: within a 25- mile radius distance of the constituency, MOD direct employees totalled some 1,250 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).Since 2 May 1997, around 20 contracts with a total value of some £1.5 million were placed with prime contractors in the Lancaster area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the North Devon constituency, the effects on North Devon of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [155905]

The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a presence in the North Devon constituency: within the constituency itself, MOD direct employees totalled around 930 personnel as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian).Since 2 May 1997, around 215 contracts with a total value of nearly £38 million were placed with prime contractors in the North Devon and Bideford area

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to (a) Plymouth, Sutton constituency, (b) Plymouth, Devonport constituency and (c) South-West Devon constituency, the effects on the Plymouth unitary authority area of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [158028]

[holding answer 23 April 2001]: The Ministry of Defence has a wide-ranging presence throughout the UK in terms of defence establishments and the service and civilian personnel they employ. This presence brings benefits to many communities, local economies and jobs. Also, 60,000 new defence contracts are placed each year that provide support to industry and create and sustain defence-related employment.The Ministry of Defence has maintained a very large number of personnel in the area reflecting the strategic importance of Plymouth to the services—especially the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. MOD direct employees as of 1 October 1999 (service and civilian) were around:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what telephone helplines to assist the public are administered by his Department and its agencies. [159505]

The Ministry of Defence administers a wide variety of telephone helplines to assist the public. Our primary public helplines for all general inquiries are the MOD public inquiry office helpline—telephone number 0870 607 4455; and the Welsh language public inquiry office helpline—telephone number 01154 821 413.We also administer a number of helplines to provide advice to the public on specific subjects. The main helplines are:

Helpline	Telephone number
The Low Flying Helpdesk	020 7218 6020
The Veterans Advice Unit	0845 602 0302
The Gulf Veterans Advice Unit	0800 169 4495
The Medical Assessment Programme Helpline	0800 169 5401
The Porton Down Volunteers Helpline	0845 603 9140
The Meteorological Office Helpline	0845 300 0300
The Defence Vetting Agency Helpline	01904 662644
The Defence Suppliers Service Helpline	0117 913 2844
The Defence Diversification Agency (DDA) Connect Helpline	0845 600 1221
Defence Estates Work Services Opportunity Bulletin Helpline	0121 311 2067

The table does not include those helplines created specifically for recruiting purposes, nor for serving military and civilian personnel and their dependants. Nor does it include helplines that may from time to time be administered by individual units or establishments to provide advice on local issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has undertaken into the reduction of Scottish brigades from two to one. [160338]

There have been no studies undertaken by this Department into a reduction in the number of brigades in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001 (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity. [158550]

During the period 31 March 2000 to 31 March 2001, special advisers in this Department travelled overseas on seven occasions.

£ million at cash prices
Year	Government grant to London Transport1	Core investment (including JLE)	Private finance investment2	Total investment in Underground (excluding JLE)	Total investment in Underground
1990–91	484	414	—	414	455
1991–92	575	298	—	298	360
1992–93	883	632	—	632	699
1993–94	693	485	—	485	740
1994–95	786	506	—	505	877
1995–96	904	485	114	599	1,187
1996–97	944	371	138	509	1,166
1997–98	629	324	161	485	961
1998–99	411	415	53	468	751
1999–2000	816	342	179	521	1,176
2000–013	404	395	150	545	545
1Excludes grant to Docklands Light Railway in years 1990–91 and 1991–92, and retained scale proceeds from disposal of bus companies in year 1994–95
2The PFI figures are not actual amounts the private sector is investing in London Transport. Instead they are London Transport's estimates of what investment in PFI projects would have cost had they done the investment themselves
3The Underground Own Investment figure for year 2000–01 is not directly comparable to earlier years. The figure shown is the forecast outturn of London Underground Ltd.'s projects programme, and reflects their adoption of the accounting standard Financial Reporting Standard 15, which excludes capital renewal works.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on (a) train, (b) signal and (c) track failures in each financial year since 1994–95 for each line of the London Underground and the cumulative figures for all lines. [159435]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to make an announcement regarding the outcome of the Access to Hastings study. [159197]

Ministers are considering the recommendations made by the South East England Regional Assembly, and an announcement will be made when that consideration is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the total Government investment in London Underground was in each of the last 10 years. [157467]

[holding answer 9 April 2001]: The Government provide grant to London Transport. Although the major part of this has been allocated to London Underground, the grant has also been used for investment in non-Underground activities such as bus and river services, and Croydon Tramlink.The last Administration's 1996 Budget spending plans covered the period up to 1999–2000, at which time annual grant to London Transport (including non-Underground services such as buses and Tramlink) would have fallen to £161 million. An additional £1 billion of grant has been provided to London Transport by this Government for investment in the Underground.Government funding, together with London Transport's own revenues and investment through Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deals, supported the following total levels of investment in the Underground over the 1990s.

[holding answer 30 April 2001]: Further to previous questions from the hon. Member on 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 523W, and 12 May 2000, Official Report, columns 483–84W, London Underground have been pursuing the question of standardisation of data on failures. They have now been able to confirm a breakdown on a line by line basis. Any variations from

Service disruption due to failures in:	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
Trains
Non LT	76	140	92	167	249	134
Bakerloo	1,028	1,216	1,075	1,144	1,237	879
Central	2,121	1,739	2,605	2,423	2,165	2,304
District	1,532	1,218	1,160	1,082	995	981
Jubilee and East LL	1,135	1,156	922	1,239	2,376	1,722
Metropolitan and Circle (c&h)	1,741	609	1,167	2,170	1,380	1,568
Metropolitan and Circle—main	1,685	1,687	1,363	1,238	1,065	1,047
Northern	3,405	3,964	3,505	4,229	5,942	3,727
Piccadilly	2,113	2,376	2,228	3,115	3,886	2,934
Victoria	1,290	997	757	994	821	920
Total	16,126	15,102	14,874	17,801	20,116	16,216
Signal/Points
Non LT	21	26	20	41	26	26
Bakerloo	343	263	264	292	249	355
Central	518	542	644	880	308	335
District	334	385	303	269	278	394
Jubilee and East LL	140	79	79	110	197	338
Metropolitan and Circle (c&h)	180	212	129	131	125	238
Metropolitan and Circle—main	247	256	209	266	194	290
Northern	245	324	298	323	216	317
Piccadilly	222	287	261	241	213	202
Victoria	99	120	115	166	149	131
Total	2,349	2,494	2,322	2,719	1,955	2,626
Other track
Non LT	6	38	26	10	14	12
Bakerloo	53	99	193	201	176	168
Central	100	147	203	92	65	50
District	74	101	74	51	69	83
Jubilee and East LL	54	74	45	38	77	146
Metropolitan and Circle (c&h)	61	78	75	61	57	62
Metropolitan and Circle—main	88	118	105	73	83	82
Northern	95	123	141	165	109	105
Piccadilly	86	125	92	110	109	135
Victoria	42	56	54	80	66	66
Total	659	959	1,008	881	825	909

Since London Underground was reorganised in 1999, reporting of failures has changed slightly, so 2000–01 figures can be provided in only a slightly different format. Figures for 2000–01 are only available to the end of Quarter 3(6 January 2001). London Underground inform me that the figures for Quarter 4 are currently being processed and will be available shortly.

2000–01—Quarters 1–31
Line	Trains	Signals/Points	Other Track
Bakerloo	690	189	111
Central	2,212	390	50
District	644	399	143
East London line	78	32	3
Jubilee	1,214	304	96
Circle and Hammersmith	1,182	303	61
Metropolitan	881	406	83
Northern	1,245	266	160
Piccadilly	1,957	256	46
Victoria	831	136	46
Waterloo and City2	12	13	5
Total	10,946	2,694	866
12000–01 figures only to end of Quarter 3(6 January 2001).
2Waterloo and City line figures formerly recorded under Central line data.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the London Underground PPP to be implemented. [160730]

I announced on 4 May that I had reached agreement with the Commissioner of Transport for London, Robert R. Kiley, on a way forward which will provide a secure basis for progressing the PPP. This should enable the PPP to be completed by the autumn, with the Underground transferring to the control of Transport for London once the first deep tube competition is concluded.Mr. Kiley, who will remain Commissioner of Transport for London, will be appointed Chairman of London Transport. He will lead negotiations with the bidders aimed at finding a way to meet his concerns on unified management within the framework of the PPP and the current procurement. The way forward protects the key objectives of achieving safety and value for money. The details are set out in a Memorandum of Agreement, a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Day-to-day management of the London Underground service will remain with Derek Smith, the Chairman and Managing Director of London Underground.The current Chairman of London Transport, Sir Malcolm Bates, will step aside, but will remain a valued member of the London Transport Board. Sir Malcolm has played a crucial role in taking forward the PPP since he was appointed Chairman in February 1999, and I am grateful for his help in enabling these changes to take place.I understand that Transport for London's application for judicial review will continue, as they believe that it involves an important point of legal principle which should be tested. Mr. Kiley has given an undertaking that he will play no role in the judicial review in his capacity as Chairman of London Transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incidents of vehicles leaving the road and encroaching onto railway tracks were recorded (a) each week and (b) each month in the last year for which figures are available; what measures are in place to protect railway passengers and staff; and if he will request the Highways Agency to investigate such incidences and the efficacy of motorway barriers. [158831]

For the period 1 April 2000–31 March 2001, there were 15 incidents of road vehicles leaving the road and ending up on railway lines. Details of these incidents appear in the table.

Incidents of Motorists leaving the road and ending up on railway line
2000–01	Number
April	1
May	3
June	0
July	5
August	1
September	1
October	0
November	1
December	2
January	0
February	1
March	0

The figures are based on notifications forwarded by Railtrack to HSE's Railway Inspectorate. Data are not available on a weekly basis.I announced on 12 March 2001,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 10 April 2001, Official Report, column 504W, on housing costs, how many of the responses (a) supporting the exclusion of some or all housing costs in the calculation of households' income, (b) supporting the inclusion of housing costs in the calculation of income, (c) which offered other suggestions and (d) making no comment were submitted on behalf of more than one organisation or individual; and if he will list the total number of organisations or individuals who expressed support for each of the four categories listed above. [159038]

[holding answer 26 April 2001]: A total of 252 responses to the consultation document were received. The breakdown of responses is as shown:

(i) 50 responses supported the exclusion of some or all housing costs in the calculation of household income;

(ii) 86 responses supported the inclusion of housing costs in the calculation of household income;

(iii) 15 responses offered other suggestions;

(iv) 101 responses made no comment.

A copy of the full analysis of the consultation responses was placed in the Libraries of the House in November 1999.Some organisations submitted an individual response as well as appending their names to a response from an umbrella organisation in the area. No separate record is available of how many were submitted on this basis.The consultation draft of the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy sets out the Government's approach of displaying the number of fuel poor according to the two main definitions:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what studies have been undertaken by his Department into the driving of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes in weight by drivers under the age of 21 years; [159198](2) what studies have been undertaken by his Department regarding the risk of accidents involving drivers of vehicles in excess of 3.5 tonnes in weight without an HGV licence. [159199]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many accidents have been recorded by his Department involving drivers of vehicles in excess of 3.5 tonnes in weight in each of the last 10 years. [159200]

The table shows the number of road accidents in Great Britain resulting in personal injury, which involved goods vehicles with gross vehicle weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes between 1990 and 1999.

Number of accidents involving goods vehicles with gross vehicle weight over 3.5 tonnes: Great Britain: 1990–99
Year	Number
1990	15,063
1991	13,622
1992	13,020
1993	13,174
1994	13,184
1995	12,618
1996	12,433
1997	13,132
1998	13,278
1999	13,951

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the purpose and itinerary of his recent visit to the USA was; which officials accompanied him; what the total cost to public funds was; which members of the United States Administration he met; and if he will make a statement. [159225]

[holding answer 27 April 2001]: I visited the United States from 16 to 21 April.On 17 April I held bilateral talks on transport issues in Washington with Norman Mineta, the United States Secretary of State of Transport; Jane Garvey, the Administrator at the Federal Aviation Administration, and Congressman James D. Oberstar.In New York I attended the United Nations Commissions for Sustainable Development from 18 to 20 April, during which I had meetings with EU and other Ministers on climate change. I attended on 21 April high level consultations on climate change chaired by Jan Pronk, the Dutch Chairman of COP6, in which about 35 key countries participated.I was accompanied by three officials from my Department and one Special Adviser. My costs for the visit were approximately £8,800. Total Government expenditure on Ministerial visits in 1999–2000, the latest year for which figures are available was £4.6 million, compared to £7.9 million for the last year of the previous Administration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by (a) location, (b) year, (c) tonnage, (d) source and (e) specific end-use the sites which used incinerator ash, waste lime or dust, for the purposes described in Waste Management Licensing Regulations Schedule 3, paragraph 7, referring to the spreading of waste for the benefit of land between 1990 and 2001; what the nature of the ash was; and if he will provide associated test results produced by his Department. [159488]

[holding answer 30 April 2001]: Paragraph 7 of Schedule 3 to the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 provides an exemption from waste management licensing for the spreading of certain types and quantities of waste where the activity results in benefit to agriculture or ecological improvement. The list of waste types subject to the exemption includes waste lime but does not include incinerator ash or dust.The Environment Agency has a duty, under regulation 18 of the 1994 Regulations, to maintain a public register for each establishment or undertaking carrying on an exempt activity which shows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 10 April 2001, Official Report, column 499W, if he will place in the Library information on improvements reported by each local authority in England on a population weighted basis. [160115]

The information requested is not available. All details of energy efficiency improvements reported by energy conservation authorities were given in my written answers on 30 November 2000, Official Report, columns 757–58W, 26 January 2001, Official Report, column 731W, and 10 April 2001, Official Report, column 499W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the overall figure is for savings on energy efficiency for England based on the returns reported by individual local authorities under the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995. [160116]

Details of reported energy efficiency improvements in England, including an overall figure of just over 6 per cent. for the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 2000, are included in four summary reports that were placed in the Libraries of the House following my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) on 26 January 2001, Official Report, column 731W.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date, and by whom, licences were issued for the (a) growing and (b) marketing of Chardon-LL or T25 maize. [159994]

[holding answer 2 May 2001]: T25 is the name of a type of genetically modified (GM) maize developed by Aventis. The modification, transformation event 25 (T25) confers resistance to a particular herbicide, in this particular case, Glufosinate Ammonium. Chardon LL is a variety of T25 maize.Directive 90–220, on the deliberate release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), recognises two types of release. First, those for research purposes (known as Part B releases) and, second, those for marketing (known as Part C releases). Applications for Part B releases are assessed on an individual basis at Member State level and approved by the competent authorities in that state.Applications for approval of GMOs for marketing (Part C approvals) are made initially to one of the 15 Member States. The competent authority in this Member State reviews the application and forms an opinion. If favourable, the opinion and application dossier (which includes the risk assessment for the GMO) are passed to the European Commission and the 14 other Member States. Each Member State then examines the application in detail. If there are no objections to the favourable opinion, formal Part C approval is granted by the Member State in which the application was first made, on behalf of the whole European Union (EU). Once granted the Part C consent is valid across the EU.The French competent authority received the initial application for Part C approval of T25 maize in 1995, which was for both commercial cultivation and for importation. Following consideration by other Member States, the French granted formal approval for T25 maize on 3 August 1998. A number of Member States have also given approval to the cultivation of T25 maize for research (Part B releases). The Statement of the French Competent Authority for T25 maize shows that various Part B approvals were given by the French, Italian, German and United Kingdom competent authorities between 1992 and 1997. I have placed a copy of the statement in the library of the house. This contains the exact details of each release.Any crop, irrespective of it being GM or not, also requires approval under the National Seed Listing legislation. Varieties may not be marketed until they have been added to the UK National List or EU Common Catalogue. A proposal to add Chardon LL to the UK National List was published in March 2000. A number of affected persons made written representations or asked to make oral representations. A Hearing began on 2 October and was adjourned on 15 November until further notice pending resolution of concerns about the system used in France. Meanwhile, I understand that MAFF has sought the views of the European Commission on the legal status of the French authority's testing procedures. Chardon LL will only be added to the UK National List if all the legal requirements have been met in full.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date the original safety assessments were undertaken on Chardon-LL and T25 maize made by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment; and what other bodies were responsible for undertaking such safety assessments. [159995]

[holding answer 2 May 2001]: Chardon LL is a variety of T25 maize. The original safety assessments for marketing approval of T25 maize under Directive 90/220 Were made by the French Authorities (refer to PQ 159994 above) in 1995. The application dossier was then referred to the UK and the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) considered this on 20 June 1996. English Nature, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Health and Safety Executive and the then Department of the Environment also undertook safety assessments. ACRE was satisfied that the T25 did not pose a risk to human health and the environment. This included consideration of animal feed safety in association with MAFF. The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes also considered the safety of T25 and advised that the product was safe for use in food.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has held with the East Midlands regional development agency regarding reductions in single regeneration budget funding granted in the current year; for what reason and on what basis SRB grants awarded in Northamptonshire have been scaled back in the current year; and which SRB projects are subject to savings clawbacks in the current year. [160104]

[holding answer 2 May 2001]: There have been no reductions in the East Midlands Development Agency's SRB allocation for 2001–02. The SRB allocation for the East Midlands Development Agency has been increased to £38.398 million in 2001–02 from £37.700 million in 2000–01. The RDAs have the responsibility to manage their programmes within their allocations, and negotiate individual SRB schemes on an annual basis.We regularly meet RDA chairs collectively and have discussed finance issues, including SRB funding, on several occasions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the review by Oscar Faber of predicted traffic flows after the opening of the Birmingham northern relief road on the M6 and other roads. [160127]

My hon. Friend's question relates to an operational matter. I have accordingly asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to him.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many applications have been made under the new home energy saving scheme; how many have been accepted; how many have been completed; and what the average wait is between application and completion of the work. [160264]

The information requested is set out in the table. While the average wait is calculated as being 108 days, since the scheme started on 1 June 2000, there have been instances when householders have had to wait much longer, especially for heating measures. We are working with the Home Energy Efficiency scheme managers to reduce the time taken to install measures. Since January the average waiting time has been reduced to 59 days.

Number
Applications submitted to date	323,244
Applications accepted	263,359
Households where work has been completed	111,985
Average time taken between application and date of work (days)1	2108
1Measured from date of call with respect to telephone applications; from date of receipt in the case of postal applications; or from date of e-mail.
2This is the average since the start of the scheme on 1 June 2000. Since 1 January the average time taken to completion of works has fallen to 59 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what funding allocation has been made to Walsall for the purpose of regeneration since 1997; if he will list the schemes and organisations in receipt of funding and the amounts involved; and what component of these awards is made with security, community safety and crime reduction as an objective. [160276]

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason (a) local authorities and (b) the Highways Agency are exempt from section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. [160390]

The powers under section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, introduced by the previous Government, provided for regulations to be made allowing charges to be levied on utility companies whose works exceed an agreed deadline. However, the Act did not extend this power to works carried out by highway authorities.This Government are determined to reduce the disruption which all works, whether carried out by utility or highway authority, cause to road users. The powers under section 74 have been activated with effect from 1 April this year. At the same time a revised code of practice for the co-ordination of works and best practice guidelines were published, which apply not only to works on behalf of utilities but also to works for local highway authorities and the Highways Agency. We are also considering whether further measures may be required.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his estimate is of the proportion of roadworks carried out by (a) utilities, (b) local authorities and (c) the Highways Agency. [160389]

Works carried out to the highway include "road" works—carried out by or on behalf of highway authorities—and "street" works—involving statutory utilities. Detailed figures are not available on the proportion of overall works carried out by utilities, local authorities and the Highways Agency. However, the Government have recently commissioned Halcrow UK to undertake a study of the extent of utility street works across England. As part of that work, they will also be looking at works carried out by highway authorities. We expect to make the conclusions of Halcrow's research available to the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his assessment is of the impact on prices paid by consumers for utility services arising from the lane rental provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. [160391]

The Government took powers in the Transport Act 2000 to make regulations permitting highway authorities to levy daily charges on utilities from the outset of works (so-called "lane rental"). These powers are being kept in reserve at this stage as regards national implementation. However, we have agreed that the London borough of Camden and Middlesbrough borough council may operate pilot schemes for lane rental in their area, starting later this year.The impact of any national lane rental scheme on utility companies and their customers and the extent to which road users will benefit from reduced disruption will obviously depend upon detailed arrangements, for instance the level at which rental charges were set and the type of works which would attract charges. Should we decide to launch the powers nationally, we will want to look very closely at the effects of the pilot schemes in devising the details of the scheme and in carrying out a regulatory impact assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to regulate the size of buses. [160142]